The Grower's Basket

To finish up our 12 Wines of Christmas List I thought it would be suiting to give readers a few bubbly options or this New Years Eve! Sparkling, sparkling, sparling for wines 10, 11 & 12! VOGA Sparkling Italy $18.95 This funky bottle is a great hostess gift for this holiday season. Very fruit forward, with soft acidity and a creamy bubbly texture, this big bottle not only looks good but tastes deeeelish too! Teal Lake 2008 Sparkling Muscat Australia $12 If you have yet to try a sparkling Muscat, you are missing out. This bottle of sparkling is much sweeter then the average showing notes of orange blossom and candied lemon. It is great for mimosas on Sundays, or on its own as a sweet treat! A unique gift for anyone on your list, as there is usually few bottles kicking around at the LCBO. If your local LCBO doesn't have this one, see if there if it is offered under another label. Generally they are in the lower price range too! Cave Spring Cellars Blanc de Blanc Brut Niagara P...

The ever so classic Bordeaux, generally so sought after because of great assemblage. At any time you could find merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and malbec in your bottle. Meritage however, is what we call blends of this structure here in North America.  Wine 8 & 9 on the 12 Wines of Christmas List is another battle of the bottle: a Bordeux blend from France vs a Meritage Blend from Ontario. The Local Choice Tawse Meritage 2007 Niagara Peninsula $48.70 Expensive, yes. Money well spent, of course. This blend of 38% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Cabernet Franc is something special for Ontario. This is a FULL bodied red that speaks of dark chocolate, cassis, and oak is a great idea for a friend or family member with a cellar, as it has the potential to age well beyond 10 years. Tawse has won all kinds of awards these past couple years, and the state of the art winery shows well to visitors! Tawse Website The Bordeaux Affair Chat...

As many of you may already know, one of my favourite bottles of red is Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Village. The grape which makes up this light bodied red wine is the Gamay, and is widely grown here in Ontario. So here we have it, a double take for wine 6 and 7 on our list. Two wines from 2 different countries, made with the same grape.  The Local Choice            13th Street  2010 Gamay Noir Niagara Peninsula $19.95 Why do I love this particular Niagara Gamay so much? It's juicy raspberry and cherry notes are not overpowered by acidity! Many Gamay's from Ontario I find can be way to acidic making the wine un balanced. This vintage showed well, medium tannins give it some unexpected body, and it can be opened right away or perhaps cellared for 3-5 years. This is a great purchase for the holidays because it will go perfect with appetizers, antipasto platters, or any tomato based dish!  The All Time Fav Louis Jadot 2009 Beaujolais-Villages Fran...

Not quite 5 golden rings, but the fact that the Tempranillo grapes which make up this bottle are from 80+ year old vines in Spain makes this wine unique and perfect for any red wine lover on your list! VEGA MORAGONA VIÑAS VIEJAS 2007 Ribera del Jucar, Spain $12.40  This past weekend was my Grandma and Grandpa Juniper's 50th Wedding Anniversary!  I wanted to bring a bottle I could enjoy with my brother Dean, who is a die hard Malbec fan. I am always trying to find a good bottle (other then a single varietal Malbec) that can live up to his standards. I came across this in the vintages, and was intrigued by the rich history of the vines. Tempranillo not often bottled as a stand alone, is the grape used in Rioja, Spain and is known for is rich flavours and dark ruby colour.  Dean and I both enjoyed this wine, and with the great price point it makes it easy to buy without remorse!  The nose was subtle with oak, and burned the nostrils, I guess that has something to do...

A rare find for a good friend, introducing the 4th wine of Christmas: 2010 Riesling Bone Dry, from Coffin Ridge for $19. So, I was at the LCBO in Thornbury and stumbled upon a very interesting Riesling. Coffin Ridge is a winery between Meaford and Owen Sound that prides itself on making wines that; "can stand with the best (wines) of the world."  I have driven by the 2nd concession off hwy 26, but never dropped in. The owner's began experimenting as a hobby, now they are breaking more boundaries by producing great wines beyond the designated viticultural area's recommended by the VQA. Nestled on the escarpment in southern Georgian Bay, the soils and sunshine are reflected in the well balanced palate of this little gem. Only available at Owen Sound, Port Elgin, Southamption, Sauble Beach, Wiarton, Meaford, Thornbury and Collingwood LCBOs but if this is your local store then get them quick as Coffin Ridge makes limited quantity boutique wines that sell out fast!  ...

My third wine of Christmas is for all who love a great, inexpensive white to sip on, or mix in a spritzer. It would also be a great party favour to bring along this holiday season!  2010 Pillitteri, 23 Unoaked Chardonnay   Niagara-on-the-Lake only $9.95 ! Very clear in colour and the nose is shy, only showing hints of mineral and citrus. Not to my surprise, the palate is quite similar. Light bodied, low acidity, not complex. Hey, this is not necessarily a bad thing...in terms of easy drinking and price, it's fun and affordable !  I'm sure you're wondering where the luck is? ....it's in the bottle!  Gary Pillitteri, the owner of Pilliteri Estates Winery can't seem to get away from the number 23 or separately as a 2 or 3. They decided to dedicate a series to his luck, and pass it on to the consumer! Nov 23 rd Gary immigrated to Canada Dec 23 rd is his wife's birthday Feb 23 rd his daughter was born Feb 23 rd he also won a new car at an auction!  .....

This little gem is more than just a wine, its love in a bottle!  If you have any animal lover's on your list, this is the PERFECT gift to give. 50 cents from each bottle is donated to the Lincoln County Humane Society , now I know that may not seem like a lot however if everyone who reads my blog were to purchase a bottle to give or to drink, then that would contribute a substantial amount donated. As you can see from the pic below I'm enjoying a glass right now! 2009 Catastrophe RED Cattail Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake only 13.95! This is a blend of gamay noir, merlot and cabernet franc, making it a light bodied red that is very fruit forward with notes of cherry and raspberries. The tannins are moderate but the acidity is fairly noticeable! If you are looking for a complex wine this is not the one, but its easy drinking ability is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The story behind the wine is very cute. The two black cats you see on the front are Molly and Dolly "the dre...

Hello everyone, tonight we begin the 12 wines of Christmas! My idea was simply inspired by the holiday season, because only one thing is better then Christmas music and the smell of pine....and thats a wonderful bottle of wine! Wine's I will be showcasing are great idea's for family, friends, or as a host/hostess gift. However, some of these wines may not make it passed your glass as they are all unique, inviting, local, and can be found at the LCBO. BOLD-BIG-RICH-RED 2007 Stratus Petit Verdot BOLD- because it breaks our cool climate viticulture boundaries. Stratus winery is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL), and is known to grow varieties that are often questioned in the local growers community. This grape barely ripens in it's ideal environments (warmer climates such as in France or Argentina) and our cool climate and shorter growing season isn't exactly so inviting for this variety either.  BIG- this particular vintage is kind of a big deal...2007 brough...

Well this is it. My first blog post.  Organics , whether you love the idea, or loath the idea it's a hot topic today and there is an increasing demand for organic products in consumer and business markets. Have you ever wondered what determines a wine as organic? Recently I completed a group project showcasing an organic winery: Frogpond Farms in Niagara-on-the-Lake. By visiting the farm and doing some of my own research I was able to get a much better idea of the risk and art of making an organic wine.  What is organic wine? Wine produced from grapes grown without the use of pesticides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers. Typically during the wine making process S02 - sulphur dioxide, is added to wine as a preservative to prevent oxidization or spoilage. This is usually not practiced in organic winemaking, however there is no such thing as a sulphite free wine (as it a natural byproduct of fermentation). You may see a few different ways an organic wine is expressed: 10...